News Headlines

I had a huge AH HA! moment this morning. On the front page of the Mercury News was a story about the effects of divorce on a young family. Now, it is rare that I can pass up a good divorce story, just because. I read the headline and then slipped over to the photo captions and immediately recognized the last name as that of a Sutter family. As it was an extremely rare name it definitely caught my attention. I read on and realized that, yes, indeed it was our Sutter family. So there was this child and her parents along with her younger sister splashed all over the front page of the newspaper. Hmmm... what is it like for a 10 year old to read the dirty laundry of her parents' courtship, difficulty conceiving, couples theapy, affair or not an affair depending on who you talk to and ending with the details and $,$$$ spent on lawyers, child support and alimony. It bares to question, what were these parents thinking when they agreed to do a piece for the newspaper? Did they know that pictures of the mom and her two kids were be in living color on the FRONT page? Did Dad know that the claim he made about being nothing but a baby machine would be in print for his babies to read and reread for all of eternity? What were they thinking?

This of course led me to synthesize this article to all other human interest articles I am drawn to. I just love "train wrecks" and in all honesty read more of those articles than the news in Iraq, Iran, Samoa or North Korea combined. These articles are all about real people who live in real homes and are trying to do the best they can for their families. They all go to school somewhere and have friends whose parents read that paper and say, "Isn't that your friend so-and-so who's in your class?" Yeah. What is that like for a 6 and 10 year old child who are just trying to learn to read and add or subtract or write a decent essay?

I am sorry. I am sorry for my curiosity. I am sorry for the desperation that leads people to use the newspaper as a friend that will listen to their side of the story. I am sorry for these broken families and their children that must somehow now find their way in the world.

Friday Update

Computer: Today I walked back in my room after Read 180 and discovered that my computer was on. Yahoo! It's back! My new computer is back! I went to check my school mail account to see everything I had missed so far in the day but something was very wrong. The latest mail available was dated August 31st. As I investigated further I discovered that was not my new computer; it was my old computer. Luckily my "savior" helped me solve the mail problem and I slowly adjusted to being grateful for my old friend being back once again.

Student Guidelines for words Ms. Allen doesn't like to read: Please add to the list suck, sucks and sucked. When asked if they knew sucks is a "bad" word they were all stunned beyond comment. I can't wait to have breakfast with my friend, the 5th grade teacher this weekend and ask what in the world is going on in elementary school writing workshop!

An Announcement I Never Thought That I'd Make

The world may need a little background information on this one. We have been working on envisioning in reading and sensory images in writing. A few of my young authors have gotten a little carried away in trying to make their olfactory images come to life for their "reader."

Teacher announcement made today:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I'm not sure if you understand this or not but the audience you write for in this classroom is ME. I am a 55 year old woman who lives a very simple life in a nice little house with her dog. Even though I love teaching 6th graders, I am not one of your friends and I am not amused by 6th grade humor. I don't like reading about barf and poo. Up until this moment I have been writing comments on your papers about these words being inappropriate and you have been asked to redo the assignment. Let me just say here and now from this point forward, I do not expect to see anyone use either of those words or topics ever again. Are there any questions? Good.

Erase That Happy Thought From Yesterday

I would like to rescind all my happiness about my new computer. I came into work this morning eager to get started with my day AND my new computer. I turned it on and it went totally berserk. It just started loading documents and Internet Explorer until it knocked itself out. I'm talking hundreds of them. There were all kinds of flashing lights. It tried to find and resolve its problem with no luck at all. By 7:15 I was utterly despondent. I don't think I have ever been that sad about a material object in my life. It is a lesson learned about the transientness of happiness and the yin and yang of our existence.

The Little Things in Life

I knew it was coming but I was still so excited to be the recipient of a new teacher computer today. We somehow kept the old one functioning over the past few weeks. And I am lucky enough to have people who care about me and my life at school that I ended up on the short list of new computer recipients. There is just a feeling of respect that comes along with new "toys." So thank you to everyone out there who made it happen. I am a happy Bobcat!

Passing Back Papers

Most of the time I don't really like passing back corrected papers. But it occurred to me this morning that there are a couple reasons I take on that responsibility in the beginning of the year. The #1 reason is that the kids don't know everybody yet and it takes them forever as they wander aimlessly around the room looking for the kid that matches the name on the paper. But I was reminded of the other reason this morning. For some reason 6th graders come to middle school with a very unrealistic view of their writing skills. They all think they are horrible writers and are shocked to see papers with As or Bs on them. Now part of that is because it is the first time they have gotten letter grades. As important as teaching the standards are, the elementary standards based report card just doesn't connect with kids. Getting a 4 cannot compare to the status of an A. Last year my kids HATED writing and I spent the first couple months of school showing them it can be fun. This group definitely came in with a better attitude and now that letter grades are flying around the room are loving it even more. My favorite part as I crusie by, dropping off a table load of papers is the sucking in of air that seems almost instinctual followed by the long sigh and the comment, "I got an A. I can't believe it." I don't give grades and my kids know it. So the smile and little wiggle in their chair as they sit a little taller is just so cute. I'm about ready to pass on the paper responsibility to the students but I have to admit it did bring a little burst of happiness to my day.

First Sub Day

Yesterday was my first sub day of the year. Sub plans has always been one of those things on my "Why I Love Middle School" list. It still is but I had a huge AH HA about choosing a sub this year for my Read 180 class. These are not typical middle school students. Many of them are not fluent in English, most have been failing for a long, long time and don't really like school. So I guess it takes a special someone to handle my little darlings. I wasn't ready to leave them with a sub because we were just beginning to have a shared focus. So I told my sub I would be there and she could just monitor independent readers or just hang out and watch the program. She responded by telling me that she wasreally interested in tutoring adolescent readers and would love to be there. So 2nd period rolls around with no sub. I start teaching and she comes in and plops down at the small group table. Once rotations begin, I tell her that she can go read with anyone in the independent reading area. She takes off and as I'm beginning my small group lesson, I see her approach a couple kids but I don't see any reading going on. She slinks back to my table and says, "I don't think they want me here" and left the classroom. Oh if life could be that easy and we could just leave when they don't want us.

Taking a Fall

I have never been in the least bit graceful. I walk everyday and everyday I stumble and almost fall. It was only a matter of time before I was unable to recover and actually hit the deck. Yesterday, on my way to walk with a friend, I tripped over an uneven piece of sidewalk and was unable to catch myself. I actually felt more coordinated going down than I ever imagined I would. But the end result was a scraped up knee and a very sore wrist. I had a very restless night but made it through the day today without too much pain. The wrist is loosening up a bit and the knee is beginning to heal. This is another one of those reminders of how quickly life can make a turn and change for the worse. I could easily have broken a bone in my hand, arm or leg. So I continue to walk but am just a tad bit more careful and looking down more often than out. The hesitancy will pass but for now I am giving thanks for my gifts and wounds that will heal when given enough time.

A Long Time Between Posts

It has been a long time since I have updated my blog. I have no excuses, reasons or explanations beyond the simple fact that the beginning of school is an extremely busy time.

I am loving teaching reading and writing to my darling little 6th graders as well as my intervention class. It has been quite a venture being involved in the start up of a brand new middle school program. I have no doubt that I was placed at Buchser to be doing exactly what I am doing. It is the culmination of my teaching experience all put to its best possible use - primary reading instruction, special education and middle school all rolled together into one. However, the materials and technology set backs have been many. I am hopeful that by next week everything will be purchased, installed and in the hands of students and I can stop my weekly and sometimes daily e-mails to the powers that be.

Another challenge in my school life has been a down computer in my classroom. I guess for other teachers this wouldn't have been a problem but I have recently learned that I am one of the rare teachers that only has one computer in her classroom. So for 6 school days I only had access to a computer while I was in the READ 180 room. I was definitely more efficient both as a classroom teacher and when I was on line. In the classroom there were no distractions in dealing with e-mails between classes but it was also a struggle to handle the day to day things upon which we depend on technology. It meant doing attendance on paper and sending a student to the attendance office within the first 10 minutes of class. I also became aware of how many times during the day we say "Did you see that e-mail from ___ about ___? There were even times when I would tell someone something and s/he would say, "Could you send me an e-mail about that?" But the positive side was that my focus was entirely on those 32 kids in the classroom and not on attendance, or on-line grades, or e-mails to remind me of upcoming events or meetings or information about absent kids. I was just teaching.

We are in our third week of school and it is about now when I begin to surface again. My grades are up to date, I have given the first writing assessment and have a pretty good idea of where my readers are. I know everyone's name and can even recognize them when they are in the quad and not in their assigned seat. But thinking back on the past few weeks is a little shocking. So, here are some of things that go on in the opening weeks of school:
August 24th - First day of school
August 26th - Team Meeting
August 27th - School Walk-a-thon followed by locker assignments
September 2 - Grade level meeting followed by a Faculty Meeting
September 3 - Back to School Night
September 9 - Team Meeting
September 10 - Google Calendar Training followed by READ 180 Meeting
September 15 - Picture Day
September 16 - Department Meeting
September 18 - 6th Grade Social

As I so often like to say, "Yikes."

Day One, Year Two

Before beginning the writing of this post, I thought it would be interesting to see how my feelings today compare with those of a year ago. As I searched the archives I sadly discovered there is no history. I didn't come back to my blog until mid November. Well, that says a lot about where I was last year at this moment.

So I will just start at the beginning. This is my second year of middle school and it feels so much better than my memories of 2008. I remember not sleeping for days and having horrible dreams of ill mannered juvenile delinquents who I had no idea of how to manage. In contrast, this year I have to admit that while I have lost some sleep over worries of starting a new year, there have been no weird dreams. I would just wake up and pre-play the first day. And before you know it, there was enough daylight that I could legitimately get up and make my coffee to start the day.

Day 1 finally arrived and I was as prepared as I wanted to be. I could have spend the whole weekend obsessing over tiny little details but knew that would not be healthy for me or anyone else in the classroom. I puttered around my room this morning until it was time for yard duty and went out to welcome a new crop. I was taken by surprise at how happy I was to see my now 7th grade students and my old friends from Sutter. It is that feeling of home that always brings my feet back to the ground. I constantly forget how important it is for me to be known.

What a difference a year makes! Last year I had so little knowledge of what I was doing. It was about all I could do to just to keep breathing. Fast forward to this year. I was totally shocked to see that deer in the headlights look from almost every student in my classroom until after lunch. Few of them made eye contact with anyone, let alone the teacher. Only the 3 Sutter kids who had me before even came close to laughing at my lighter comments. The poor things. The afternoon was a little better and I'm hopeful that after a good night's sleep these kids will remember Ms. Allen's words. Today is the worst of it. It's all downhill from here.

A New Beginning

One of the things I love most about my job is that every fall brings a new beginning. It's like renegotiating your contract and saying "Yes! I want to do that again!" That's how I'm feeling today but more so. I have to contain myself not to shout out how excited I am about going back to school. It's not socially acceptable to be excited about the first day of school but in all honesty, that's who I am as a teacher.

Summer school is now a distant memory. My vacation to Washington was very nice. But I am all about being HOME and am deeply defined by my profession. It is time to begin anew once again.

Yesterday was my first day back which meant I was very distracted. There were people to say Hi to, summer school stuff that needed putting away, desks to move into position and a second classroom to prepare. I will be teaching a reading intervention class this year which needs its own room so special ed and ELL can also use the materials. I now lovingly call B-10 my annex. It was a long day but I was a little more focused by the time it was over.

Today when I returned I knew I had to get the paper up on the walls and start some lesson planning. Late this afternoon, I pulled out my "Beginning of the Year" folder and was overwhelmed with feelings of last year. I had no idea what I was doing but I had lists of talking points (which I believe came from my partner teacher) and getting to know you activities, most of which I never used. The past 2 days have been a huge AH HA of how little I knew just a year ago. I am overcome with how much calmer I feel going in to my second year of middle school. I know lots of people whom I had never even met at this time a year ago. Meeting new people is a huge challenge for me so the sense of familiarity makes me feel instantly at home. I know the writing curriculum and how I want to tweak it to make it better this year. But the biggest piece of the puzzle is the fact that I am once again teaching reading. I think it's much more emotional than academic. I am a reading teacher. It's where I started and to some extent defines who I am as a teacher. The things we read change what we think about the world and who we become. The deep conversations that go on in the classroom occur as a result of our shared reading experiences and what we think about them.

There's a tiny piece of me that just can't wait for Monday morning. But I also know that on Monday morning I will be nauseous and wishing the introductions and getting to know you stage was over and learning had already begun.

Mystified

I have made a few comments here and there about one of my student teachers from Summer School. I won't belabor the point of how surprised I have been by how it has all turned out. I remain mystified and a bit humbled that every now and then our first impressions can be way off course. Today she gave me a thank you note and I have to say she was clearly paying attention

"Thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of your classroom this summer. I have enjoyed the past 5 weeks and learned more than I thought possible. I especially appreciated your use of positive reinforcement and loved seeing the students respond to your encouragement. I will miss your ability to see the potential in every student, but I hope to carry this outlook into my other classrooms."

Wow...

Week Number Five - The End

Summer school 2009 is now history and so today a breathe a huge sigh of relieve. The end is always anticlimactic because so many kids don't bother to show up but nonetheless I am thrilled to be done with it. It wasn't as bad as I often thought it was but I still don't want to do it again. I'm tired. It's just as simple as that. The money is good - no doubt of that - but it is all just so exhausting. I'm not the kind of teacher that can take anything lightly. I lose as much sleep over summer school kids and lesson plan as I do during the regular school year. I just can't shut it off. And that is no way to spend a summer vacation. But I have to admit I have grown and learned many new things as a result of my summer school experiences.
1. Sometimes my first impressions of people can be a little off. I had a student teacher who I would have bet money on the fact that she didn't think I knew jack about teaching. I was dead wrong. I still don't think she fully comprehended everything she was seeing but the girl was just hungry for more. Her questions weren't necessarily questioning me, they were just questions.
2. It is still hard for me to give up control of the classroom but I definitely improved in that department this summer. I allowed student teachers to dig in without my intervention and resentment did not rear its ugly head. That is definitely a step in the right direction.
3. I saw great growth in several kids that I kind of thought were players. Patience and maintaining eye contact for ungodly long periods of time can be very effective.
4. The very most important thing a student can do to begin a successful career is to show up and pay attention. That's it. That's all it takes. The brain will do the rest automatically.
5. I truly had no idea how much I have missed teaching reading. I LOVE the deep conversations that come about because of stories and the way people share who they are through those conversations.
6. I continue to learn how to make connections for kids between the school world and the real one. One of my best lessons this summer was convincing my students that they are the main characters in the story of their own lives. It was a powerful way to link to their new identities as middle school students. Every day we decide who we are projecting to the outside world. This is still a life lesson for me. Who am I? Would the people who know and love me answer that question the way I do? If not, I need to reintroduce my "character" to my readers.
7. Afternoon naps are amazing. I'm quite sure I would have ended up in a heap without them.

And now I think that is just what I will do - go take a nap.

An Awareness of Aging

I am aging. This is something that has been playing on my mind this summer. I'm not old. I just feel myself changing. Living in the moment forces you to see things and feel things that you might ignore otherwise. I now notice changes in my body; new lines, aches and pains, gravity taking its toll. Actually, this is probably a change for the better. In years past I would ignore those aches and pains, truly believing that my body would heal itself and there was no need for intervention. My first bout with tendonitis a couple years ago taught me differently. And it seems lately there has been one reminder after another. The past school year I had some weird foot thing, a frozen shoulder and shingles. That's a lot in a very short period of time.

I revel in everything I am still able to do but I also know it could very well be transient. Walking the Wharf to Wharf reminded me that I am still able to maintain a 15 minute mile for a distance of 6 miles. On the other hand, my very own sister who is only slightly older than I am, is having a hip replacement next week. How is it that we are old enough for such things? This is by no means the end of the world; it is just an awareness of aging. I'm not sad or upset or depressed - just aware.

The flip side is senior discounts. On two occasions this month I have been made aware of senior discounts for those who are 55 and older. The first time I was too afraid to ask for it; I figured they would card me but the second time I told them I would be 55 in 2 weeks... No dice. It must be about time for my gray hair to stop playing around and get serious.

As I turn 55 this week I am also aware that it is a midpoint of sorts. I have loved my 40s and 50s but I'm a little wary of the upcoming 60s. 60 just sounds older to me - the age of retirement, social security and medicare. I, of course, look forward to all of these things but they are symbols of growing old in our society. So it has taken me aback to realize that in just 5 short years, I will be 60 something.

While I am a strong believer that age is an attitude, there are some very real things that accompany it that can not be denied. I sleep less than I did a year or so ago. I tire in the garden more easily. There are pains that must be dealt with. I am simply aware of a change in the air. However, you can be assured that this does nothing to diminish the enthusiasm I have always had for my birthday. I still think it's the best day of the whole darn year.

Week Number Four

The end is near. We are down to 4 days of summer school. That is only 18 hours of contract time and 16 hours of face time! But who's counting? Week number four definitely had its highs and lows. The kids found their rhythm and seemed much more aware of their end of the responsibility of the learning game. Show up and tune in. It's as easy as that. But part of the reason for them finding their rhythm is me bringing the hammer down. No, we don't throw erasers. We respect things that have been GIVEN to us to use. No we don't write nasty comments on other people's name tags. That is rude and disrespectful. The erasers are now being closely monitored and the name tags are currently being recycled into another piece of paper somewhere. So maybe starting the day with basic expectations makes for a better learning atmosphere. I just don't like wasting my time on general behavior that is a given by the time you hit middle school. But you gotta do what you gotta do. The end result is that the writing was more fluent, there were new voices in the room and the unit is feeling connected.

The student teachers and I had our assessment conferences today. That is where I tell them my observations and opinions of their work in the educational profession thus far, according to the teaching standards. Yes, we have standards too. Last year these conferences occurred on the last day so I didn't have to worry about them stalking me down a dark alley in the dead of night to get retribution. I had to watch my words this year since we still have another week together. But it turns out I had nothing to fear. The refreshing part is that each of them was already aware of the challenges which I addressed. I stayed after our meetings and wrote up the reports so now all that is left is the students' End of Session Progress Reports. I think I'll put them off for a day or so.

Week Number Three

Friday has come again and the third week of summer school is over. The days are passing more quickly now and I am in my rhythm. That's what happens when kids weasel their way into my heart. I look forward to seeing their tired little faces every morning and watching the transformation as I smile and say "How's it goin'?" They don't really want to respond but they just can't help themselves. The student teachers are getting some ah hahs about who is sitting in the seats and what walks through the door with them - deceased or seriously injured parents, language issues, sibling rivalry that lands them in the emergency room, kids who talk freely about learning disabilities or missed elementary school benchmarks, not to mention all the "normal" middle school social issues that at any moment can rear their ugly heads.

There were many positive events this week.
#1 on the list is my appreciation for working in an air conditioned classroom. You don't really know how wonderful it is until the temperature rises above 90. I realized one morning as I was rushing to work that I didn't need to hurry in to get the windows open in order to get the early morning air in the classroom. What a relief! It comes with a feeling of respect for who we are and what we are about. You just can't expect much of a product when human beings are forced to work in unbearably hot classrooms.

#2 Facing 32-34 challenged students each period makes me appreciate and almost crave the balanced classroom. I love how kids learn from one another. 6th grade is just a great age when they start to realize that everyone has gifts to share. Summer school kids are the ones whose voices haven't been heard and they're usually not sure how to get them in the room in an appropriate manner.

#3 Teaching reading and writing in summer school has helped me consolidate my thinking about what I want do to connect the two in the regular school year. I can't wait to get started. I have truly missed the teaching of reading and didn't know how much until now.

#4 Today's conversation with my student teachers was very complimentary. They have been out to enough classrooms and had enough personal experiences with individual kids that they can now see what I bring to the classroom. I don't need their approval to know who I am as a teacher but it sure feels better when it is spoken out loud.

One final observation that has struck me this week is once again the difference between my primary and secondary experiences. Once upon a time long ago I taught at GM and looped from first to second grade. In that class was a boy who I lovingly termed "hell on wheels." I didn't know how else to describe him. He wasn't LD or ED but he was totally out of control. His mom called the police to their house several times over the 2 years I had him. He kicked in doors, destroyed property and just generally caused mayhem. But on the other hand he was charismatic, lovable and really wanted to succeed. The past 4 years haven't solved any problems. He's been at Opportunity and out and "home schooled" which really means he was just not in school. And now he's attempting to re-enter the academic world. He's not happy about it but is making an attempt to play the game. I have had the pleasure of having a few conversations with him this week. In every one of them he was always respectful and went out of his way to greet me by name - that doesn't always happen in middle school. I have been struck by the differences in these challenging kids between 1/2 grade and 7th. As a young child he was the personification of hyper kinetic energy. You never knew where he would end up from one minute to the next. His voice could go from normal speech to yelling and screaming in a split second. Today you would think he was one of the most mellow kids on earth. It's all part of the act and much more difficult to address. He has clearly been my ah ha for summer school. Inside the bodies of our super cool adolescent kids who can''t be bothered even answering your questions is the little boy who just cannot come to terms with his inside feelings and the outside world.

Week 3 has been a turning point. It is the realization of how deeply I love my job no matter who is in the seats. It is also clear to me how much I need to be challenged in my profession. I love the kids that make me rethink what and how I teach. But it is also the awareness that we are on the downhill side.

Week Number Two

The second week of summer school is over and done with. The kids are settling into some sort of routine and are figuring out a system for working with one another. They are also figuring out me and where my line is. #1 is flying pencils. Yes, both my classes learned this week that if something flies into Ms. Allen's line of sight, WATCH OUT. They now know that safety comes first. I don't really like getting in kids' faces but sometimes it is an extremely effective strategy and if a pencil flies through the air that is just my gut reaction.

It feels good to have the second week complete. That means that we are almost to the halfway point. My student teachers have become bored with observing and are up and about a lot more, hanging out with the kids. They are attempting to find their role in the classroom and create that all important boundary between kid and teacher.

The whole student teacher thing is extremely challenging for me. I'm not one that likes to have others in my room in the first place so to have 3 of them evaluating every word and action I take requires a lot of self reassurance. I am quick to think that I am being judged but I try to remember that they will one day understand the importance of classroom management as opposed to fun and creative activities. It also helps to know that other experienced teachers have the same issues. I was approached by 2 different teachers yesterday who basically wanted to vent about the passive aggressive nature of their student teachers - whispering to each other in the corner, questioning teachers about why they do what they do, suggesting alternative activities, making comparisons to other teachers. It just fosters a feeling of unease and borders on disrespect. My biggest issue is a self-professed "not a morning person" who walks into the room every day and as I greet her I get nothing in return. Today I think she grunted ever so slightly. Just a big pet peeve of mine. Human beings respond to one another, tired or not. But I have to let it go. It is obviously not about me!

So week 2 was close to a success. No one left the room without permission. The VP was in and complemented me on the tightness of my lesson. One of my more unengaged students asked if he could write during break time. Things are looking up.

A Day For Me

Today was our summer school day off in observance of the 4th of July. I didn't really mind waiting for Monday even though the rest of the world was off on Friday. I personally think they postponed it so we could have our first set of Friday meetings with the student teachers. Whatever... I could easily have spent the day doing little odd jobs around the house - gardening, cleaning, etc but wanted to take full advantage of the time off. It is an issue of mine. I have time off but don't really make the effort to enjoy it. Then when the summer is over I don't have the feeling or memories of relaxation. So today was a day for me.

I started off with breakfast with a friend at Bill's Cafe and immediately headed for the beach. I walked West Cliff Drive to Natural Bridges, checked out Wisteria and enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee at The Ugly Mug. Then I drove up highway 1. I love the views this time of year with the combination of farmland and seascapes. The weather was absolutely amazing. I don't think I've ever seen the water as blue as it was today. It was almost indigo. I was completely filled with gratitude for everything I have at my fingertips living in northern California.

I treated myself to a piece of pie from Duarte's and enjoyed it overlooking Pescadero Beach. Everything I did today jogged memories from the past. Natural Bridges Beach was a great place for our family in our younger days. I vividly remember the trip that Dave and I took to Pescadero Beach for some tide pooling which was a college class assignment. The assignment was really just a picture for evidence that you were there. But I was so thrilled that he asked me to go with him.

I continued on to Moss Beach Distillery and had a little beverage on the deck overlooking the Pacific. What a beautiful place! I enjoyed the view and the ever deepening blues of the sky and water. There was not even a speck of fog in sight, contrary to our area meteorologists' predictions. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for the simple gifts of life. I am blessed with my surroundings, my family and friends and am so happy with the memories that lie just below the surface waiting to bubble up and remind me of what an amazing life this is.

She Is Home

Maria is home again from her trip to the British Isles. I am glad that she was able to go and do most of what she wanted but I have to admit that I was extremely worried the entire time she was gone. I can't really explain this because she has traveled to Europe before with very little concern on my end. I'm not sure if it is me aging or the instability of the world we live in but anytime anything out of the ordinary happened my "mom" antennae shot up. Her travel blog was the only thing that kept me calm. I loved reading her story and looking at her photos in almost real time. The most interesting thing for me was when we instant messaged because we just happened to be on line at the same time. It was so incredible that we could be thousands and thousands of miles apart but technology could create a situation where worldwide communication is as simple as a click of the keys. The other interesting thing was the Facebook experience. She could send messages and people responded immediately. She could get advice about simple things like tax and duties as well as find a hospital for medical care when she needed. Once again, technology is an amazing thing.

Week Number One

The first week of summer school is in the books and most of what I feel is relief. Like anything else, the beginning is always the hardest. The first days of summer school are even more challenging because of the kids that come and go. Or rather than come and go, I should say the kids that don't come and others take their place. These students are famous for not following through on commitments so the ones that sign up don't actually show up. So every day kids on the waiting list are called to take their place. That makes it doubly difficult to create a sense of community. I am hopeful that next week we will be able to make some progress in knowing who is supposed to be in the room. Summer school kids are by their nature wacky. It's the only word for them. They say and do things that are totally unexpected. But mostly they just don't engage in classroom activities. That is a challenge for a teacher like me who depends on relationships for the bulk of classroom management. So the first week was a lot of work in just trying to develop an interest in what was going on in room 23. I am also challenged by being in an unfamiliar classroom and school campus. On the second day of school a student showed up a day and an hour late for class. He didn't last long before he decided to bolt. I tried hard to go on autopilot but couldn't because I had to think about the direction he was going and where streets or traffic were in relationship to that. I knew I needed to call the office but had to locate the phone first and then the list of summer school numbers. Then I had to inform the student teacher what just happened because she appeared to have missed the whole thing. Not a pleasant experience. You would thing that incident was the worst of the week but I was actually more frustrated by the lack of student involvement. They act like they have never heard the term reading strategies before in their lives. Hopefully we will all warm up a bit in week number two. But I will just say here and now that I have no desire to do this again next year. I will just need to figure out ways to relax and enjoy myself at home without spending anything to do it.